During a press conference held at the joint US and Israeli military command headquarters in Kiryat Gat, Vance expressed his belief that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas "will hold."
"I am optimistic that the ceasefire will hold, and we want to move toward a sustainable peace," Vance said, speaking in the presence of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
He continued, "We announce the opening of the Civil-Military Cooperation Center to launch a plan to rebuild Gaza," in accordance with the ceasefire agreement.
The US Vice President noted that his country would not send troops to Gaza, reiterating President Donald Trump's previous pledge.
Vance emphasized that Washington's role would be limited to providing "useful coordination" in implementing the agreement, saying, "There will be no US forces on the ground in Gaza. The US president has been clear on that, as has our entire military leadership."
In this context, Vance praised Turkey's role in the Gaza ceasefire plan, describing it as constructive, while accusing Western media outlets of attempting to sabotage the agreement, which went into effect on October 10, in accordance with the Trump plan.
He said that "with every violation," headlines are published indicating that the "ceasefire has ended," considering that the process "is progressing but needs time." He added that these attempts occur "every time something bad happens or it is said that this is the end of the ceasefire and the peace plan."
"This will not be the end. This is what happens when there are people who hate each other and have been fighting for a long time," he continued, referring to Israel and Hamas.
Hamas asserts that it is a "resistance" movement against Israel, which the United Nations has classified as the "occupying power" in the Palestinian territories for decades.
The agreement ended an Israeli war of extermination, backed by the United States, that began on October 8, 2023, leaving 68,229 dead and 170,369 wounded, most of them children and women, and destroying 90 percent of the civilian infrastructure.
